- South Korea: Chinese dissident detained after fleeing in rubber boat
Source: The Guardian [UK]
“A Chinese dissident has washed up on the shores of South Korea after attempting to flee China in a rubber boat. Dong Guangping, 68, is in custody in South Korea, having been detained by the coastguard on Monday evening. He is thought to have travelled more than 30 hours by sea to reach the shores of China’s democratic neighbour. Dong has tried to escape from China on several previous occasions, according to media reports and interviews with two of his friends. … The coastguard released a statement on Wednesday confirming that a Chinese man in his 60s had been arrested and was being questioned on suspicion of immigration law violations, according to Reuters. The man was on a 3.3-metre boat with a 10-horsepower motor when he was spotted about 38 nautical miles off the coast. … Dong was previously jailed between 2001 and 2004 for ‘inciting subversion of state power.'” (05/27/26)
- Study: GLP-1 Meds May Help Slow the Spread of Certain Obesity-Related Cancers
Source: US News & World Report
“A new study suggests GLP-1 medications may slow the spread of certain obesity-related cancers. … Researchers analyzed health data from more than 12,000 people who had one of seven types of cancer at stage 1, 2 or 3. They compared patients who started taking GLP-1 drugs after their diagnosis with similar patients taking another class of diabetes drugs called gliptins. ‘Our study found that use of GLP-1 drugs, compared to DPP-4 inhibitors and other antidiabetic drugs, was associated with a meaningful reduction in cancer progression across four solid tumor types,’ said co-author Dr. Mark David Orland of the Taussig Cancer Institute at the Cleveland Clinic. The strongest results were seen in lung, breast, colon and liver cancer, where patients taking GLP-1 medications were found to be 38% to 50% less likely to progress to stage 4 or metastatic cancer.” (05/27/26)
- Canada: Former chef won’t be charged with murder for selling legal product to willing customers
Source: CBS News
“A Canadian man accused of shipping poison to people contemplating suicide around the globe is expected to plead guilty to several counts on Friday, ending a case that has shocked the public. While Kenneth Law is set to admit to 14 charges of aiding or counseling suicide, Canadian prosecutors are withdrawing second degree murder charges, multiple sources have confirmed, causing anger among devastated families. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation first reported the plea. Law, 60, is a former chef accused of running a number of online forums that offered predominantly young, distressed people advice on how to end their lives. He allegedly shipped parcels to hundreds of people in dozens of countries containing sodium nitrite, a legally available preservative that can be fatal in certain concentrations.” (05/27/26)
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kenneth-law-poison-suicides-to-avoid-murder-charges-canada/
- US heimatschutz shot-caller “drawing up plans” to impede travel
Source: The Hill
“Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said late Tuesday he is ‘drawing up plans’ to end the processing of international flights in left-leaning cities, pointing to protests outside an immigration detention center in New Jersey as rationale. Mullin’s comments follow weekend protests at Delaney Hall in Newark, where Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) was pepper sprayed during an interaction with immigration agents. … U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents process both U.S. and international visitors at the border and on flights. … Critics said ending the processing of international flights at various airports would cause chaos at airports across the country, forcing airlines to cancel flights and disrupt travel for left- and right-leaning cities that depend on CBP processing at major hubs.” [editor’s note: How about a compromise — CPB stops “processing” those flights … but the flights don’t stop. They just proceed without police state interference. Everybody wins! – TLK] (05/27/26)
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5897027-homeland-security-plans-end-flights/
- Spain: Police search headquarters of PM Sanchez’s ruling party
Source: South China Morning Post [Hong Kong]
“Spanish police are searching the headquarters of the ruling Socialist Party as part of an ongoing investigation into possible financial wrongdoing, the Civil Guard said on Wednesday. The raid on the office in central Madrid is another blow to the party of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, whose Socialists have been hammered by a series of corruption scandals. The Civil Guard said the police were under judicial orders to find material relevant to a National Court probe into accusations of corruption against former party members and other individuals.” (05/27/26)
- NASA lays out moon base plans with landers, buggies and drones at the top of the list
Source: SFGate
“NASA is already ordering landers, rovers and drones for a sprawling moon base, less than two months after the Artemis II’s record-breaking lunar flyaround. The space agency outlined the first phase of its moon base plans on Tuesday, awarding hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts to four U.S. companies. Jeff Bezos’[s] Blue Origin will provide a pair of landers to deliver moon buggies to the lunar surface, at a spot near the moon’s south pole. These so-called lunar terrain vehicles will be built by Astrolab and Lunar Outpost. Firefly Aerospace, which landed successfully on the moon last year, will deliver the first drones to the moon. All this hardware is ideally supposed to arrive before the first Artemis astronauts land on the moon, planned for as early as 2028.” (05/27/26)
https://www.sfgate.com/business/article/nasa-lays-out-moon-base-plans-with-landers-22277469.php
- Was Trump Ever a “Realist?”
Source: The Realist Review
by James W Carden“Over the course of his three presidential campaigns (2016, 2020, 2024), President Donald J. Trump promised an America First foreign policy — one that would see America pull back from postwar European security commitments, end the war in Ukraine, and keep the country out of the Middle East ‘forever wars’ that so beguiled (and then bedeviled) every US president for the past quarter of a century. Instead, as we head into the 2026 midterms, his record is, to a surprising degree, primarily one of continuity with the national security policies of his predecessors. In the context of foreign policy, Trump II might properly be seen as Bush-Cheney’s third term, such has been the influence of neoconservative personnel and ideas within his two non-contiguous administrations.” (05/27/26)
https://therealistreview.substack.com/p/was-trump-ever-a-realist
- Political winners: Those who don’t participate
Source: Eastern New Mexico News
by Kent McManigal“Every time there’s an election — a religious ritual for those who believe in the imaginary authority of the state — the cheers and tears begin as soon as the votes are tallied. The reaction depends on whether the individual voter ends up on the winning or losing side. Either outcome means the state has won at the expense of liberty. Politics is designed to divide people into winners and losers, and the only way to truly win is to refuse to play.” (05/27/26)
- How Anthony Comstock became America’s most powerful censor
Source: Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression
by David Volodzko“In the spring of 1873, the U.S. postal inspector, a prudish Christian named Anthony Comstock, arrived in Washington carrying a box of dildos. There were also dirty books, naughty pictures, French playing cards, abortion pamphlets, ‘intermediate tegumentary coverings’ (condoms), and enough sexually explicit material to scandalize Congress into trying to legislate the Devil out of Americans. Comstock called the collection his ‘Chamber of Horrors’ and went around showing it to lawmakers like a traveling freak show. The performance worked. On March 3, President Ulysses S. Grant signed what became known as the Comstock Act, one of the most sweeping censorship laws in American history. … For the next four decades, Comstock stalked publishers, raided bookstores, and helped criminalize public discussion of sex in the United States.” (05/27/26)
https://www.fire.org/news/how-anthony-comstock-became-americas-most-powerful-censor
- The Public Goods Circular Argument
Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Joshua Mawhorter“Public goods theory is presented as scientific, value-free economic theory, however, it implicitly smuggles in normative presuppositions that lead to the conclusion that the modern nation-state, and the state alone, must provide certain essential goods and services, which legitimates the state and its actions as necessary and legitimate. Historically, many applications of public goods theory emerged less as neutral demonstrations of state necessity than as retrospective justifications for functions governments had already monopolized.” (05/27/26)
- What the World Needs Now
Source: Common Sense
by Paul Jacob“For my six decades, the United States has been the dominant military power in the world. Yet, with China’s massive military buildup that is now an open question in Asia. Which is why failure to help Taiwan defeat a Chinese attack would destroy U.S. credibility there … and likely far beyond. So, how do we ever relinquish the badge of world’s policeman? One word: Allies.” [editor’s note: Three words — non-interventionist foreign policy – TLK] (05/27/26)
https://thisiscommonsense.org/2026/05/27/what-the-world-needs-now/
- Why do Democrats think “real men” wear Nazi tattoos?
Source: New York Post
by staff“It seems modern Democrats can’t object to Nazi-lovers inside the party. Massachusetts Rep. Jake Auchincloss just got major lefty backlash for calling Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner’s Nazi tatoo (and his pathetic excuses for it) ‘disqualifying.’ ‘I’ve been clear about Graham Platner. I find that tattoo and his commentary about it to be personally disqualifying,’ Auchincloss said Monday on CNN; ‘I hope Maine voters agree with me.’ That brought a storm of progressive social-media fury, accusing Auchincloss of wanting President Donald Trump to have a Republican Senate majority for his last two years in office. Saikat Chakrabarti, the former AOC staff chief now running to replace the retiring Rep. Nancy Pelosi, called on Bay State Dems to oust Auchincloss in his coming primary; others demanded Jake get kicked out of the Democratic Party.” (05/26/26)
https://nypost.com/2026/05/26/opinion/why-do-democrats-think-real-men-wear-nazi-tattoos/
- Thinking about Conservatism
Source: Adam Smith Institute
by Madsen Pirie“Two years ago I published ‘The Philosophy of Conservatism’ as a series of essays on Conservatism and Conservatives. I divide it into small-c conservatism, which is a character trait, ‘a disposition averse from change,’ as Lord Hugh Cecil put it. The small-c conservatives oppose change because it is upsetting, and because the loss of the familiar is threatening. ‘Every change is an emblem of extinction,’ as Oakeshott expressed it. Large-C Conservatism is a political tradition, not a character trait. It recognizes that change happens because of new technology, new information and new ideas. But it wants change to come from below, organic, evolutionary and unplanned. It opposes imposed change, preconceived plans.” (05/27/26)
- House Republican Leaders Wouldn’t Allow a Vote on Ending the Iran War
Source: Exiled Policy
by Jason Pye“Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) wouldn’t schedule a vote before the House left town for the Memorial Day recess on the Iran War Powers Resolution because it would have passed. There’s no other way to say it.” (05/27/26)
https://exiledpolicy.substack.com/p/house-republican-leaders-wouldnt
- Freeing Cuba without revenge
Source: Christian Science Monitor
by staff“For months, the Trump administration has aimed various types of punishing force at the regime in Havana to free the Cuban people: An oil blockade. Criminal charges against the dominant leader, Raúl Castro. The deployment of an aircraft carrier and its strike group in the Caribbean Sea, hinting at an invasion. Much of this strategy has been driven by influential Cuban Americans who have long sought retribution against the island’s communist rulers. ‘It will be difficult to completely control the impulse for revenge that some Cubans may feel during a transition,’ an opposition leader, José Daniel Ferrer, told Cuban news outlet 14ymedio in January. Yet another force might be strengthening among the political opposition, one that could erode the regime from within, official by official. It entails ridding oneself of thoughts of revenge and, as respected dissident and former political prisoner Óscar Elías Biscet puts it, loving one’s adversaries.” (05/26/26)
https://www.csmonitor.com/Editorials/the-monitors-view/2026/0526/Freeing-Cuba-without-revenge
- Offramps for Postliberalism
Source: Law & Liberty
by Thomas D Howes“A new book on the challenge of postliberalism aptly shows its weaknesses while suggesting a path towards moderation.” (05/27/26)
https://lawliberty.org/book-review/offramps-for-postliberalism/
- Goldman is trying to rage bait his way to victory; can he?
Source: Fox News Forum
by Jonathan Turley“New York Democrat Rep. Dan Goldman is fast becoming the Marie Antoinette of New York politics. As Democratic socialists rage against the privileged elite and promise sweeping welfare programs, Goldman is doubling down on promises of more impeachments and investigations. The ultimate establishment candidate is floundering. He is reportedly more than 20 points behind his Mamdani-endorsed opponent, housing advocate and former Comptroller Brad Lander. It appears that the ‘let-them-eat impeachments’ is not resonating with his constituents. While Goldman is trying to fight off the challenge from the left with some pocketbook pitches, he is sticking to the narrative that got him elected a few years ago. In an ‘age of rage,’ Goldman has excelled, pushing unstepped on, unadulterated rage..” (05/27/26)
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/jonathan-turley-rep-goldman-trying-rage-bait-way-victory
- Ukraine and Iran are Changing Warfare
Source: Persuasion
by Francis Fukuyama“It is clear that we are living through a dramatic revolution in warfare brought about by changes in technology. Classic airpower, manned by human pilots, is increasingly being displaced by pilotless drones and ballistic missiles. This has led to surprising developments, as seemingly weaker powers like Ukraine and Iran have been able to stymie larger ones like Russia and the United States. Over the last several weeks, the mainstream media has begun picking up on the fact that Ukraine has been doing much better on the battlefield, and that the war with Russia may at long last be turning in its favor. But some of the claims about the underlying technological revolution have been exaggerated, and we need to understand the precise ways in which warfare is changing.” (05/27/26)
https://www.persuasion.community/p/were-in-the-midst-of-a-warfare-revolution
- Hasan Piker and the Marxist Resentment Behind “Microlooting”
Source: The Daily Economy
by Logan Tantibanchachai“Affluent activists increasingly treat property rights as morally negotiable, attacking the system that enabled their (and their parents’) success..” (05/27/26)
https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/hasan-piker-and-the-marxist-resentment-behind-microlooting/
- Time for Ultra-Wealthy Private Jet Owners to Pay Their “Fair Share”
Source: Inequality.org
by Chuck Collins & Emily Wagner“One of the great injustices of our current tax system is that working people often end up subsidizing the luxury consumption of the billionaire class. One example of this phenomena can be found in the world of private jets, one of the most ecologically indefensible forms of transformation. The private jet lobby has worked for years to secure tax breaks for aircraft purchases and fuel—and shift their costs on to taxpayers and the commercial flying public. The lobby scored a big win when a 100% bonus depreciation for business assets including private planes was included in the 2017 Trump tax cut. That provision was renewed in 2025’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act.’ ” (05/27/26)
https://inequality.org/article/lawmakers-seek-to-eliminate-private-jet-subsidies/
- The Do-Gooder’s Road to Coercion
Source: Mindset Shifts
by Barry Brownstein“Why Those Who Won’t Govern Themselves Will Govern You.” (05/27/26)
https://mindsetshifts.substack.com/p/the-do-gooders-road-to-coercion
- Why Democrats prefer their own messy primaries
Source: Semafor
by David Weigel“The major US political parties are best understood by looking at Texas and California, whose 2026 primaries tell a clear story: Republicans are run from the top, while Democrats aren’t run at all. Texas Republicans did what the president asked them to on Tuesday, nominating state Attorney Gen. Ken Paxton for the job now held by Sen. John Cornyn. A 40-year scandal-free career in Texas politics is over after pro-Cornyn groups spent close to $100 million to defend him, simply because President Donald Trump said so. The polar-opposite dynamic is on view in California, where Democrats will likely send one of their gubernatorial candidates to the November election against Republican Steve Hilton. They have struggled to even accomplish that, however, after Gov. Gavin Newsom declined to endorse a successor.” (05/27/26)
https://www.semafor.com/article/05/27/2026/why-democrats-prefer-their-own-messy-primaries
- No Moral Standing to Complain about Supposed Cuban Terrorism
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
by Jacob G Hornberger“There is a principle in the law that one must have ‘standing’ before bringing a legal action against someone else. If the person lacks standing, his case is disallowed. In the build-up to one of its patented regime-change operations, the U.S. government, especially the national-security branch of the government, has accused Cuba’s government of being a supporter of terrorism. That’s rich, especially given that the U.S. government has long been — and continues to be — one of the biggest supporters of terrorism against Cuba. Given such, the U.S. government clearly lacks moral standing to complain about any supposed support of terrorism by the Cuban government.” (05/27/26)
https://www.fff.org/2026/05/27/no-moral-standing-to-complain-about-supposed-cuban-terrorism/
- Yale’s Mea Culpa Arrives at the Wrong Time
Source: The UnPopulist
by Shikha Dalmia“Its splashy self-examination reads less like a serious reform agenda than a carefully choreographed contrition statement aimed at a hostile administration.” (05/27/26)
https://www.theunpopulist.net/p/yales-mea-culpa-arrives-at-the-wrong
- Conserving the Last Mature Forests in Maine
Source: Property and Environment Research Center
by Jonathan Thompson, Adam Daigneault, & Joshua Plisinski“Old-growth forests provide exceptional ecological and cultural value, store disproportionately large amounts of carbon, and support unique habitat structures and species assemblages not found in younger forests. Consequently, their protection has been a longstanding conservation priority. Yet globally, old-growth forests are rare, fragmented, and in decline.” (05/27/26)
https://www.perc.org/2026/05/27/conserving-the-last-mature-forests-in-maine/
- “Education”: Why the Left Hates America’s Founders
Source: Town Hall
by Mark Lewis“‘If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.’ — Thomas Jefferson … That Democrats and other Leftists hate America’s Founding Fathers and the country’s Judeo-Christian heritage is a fact I’m not going to waste time in the article attempting to prove. Everything the Left does is designed to uproot and destroy the principles our Founders tried to build the nation upon. One of those principes, a very vital one, is a correctly educated populace. We have been complaining for many years now, and rightly so, what the Left has done to America’s education system since getting control of it about a century ago. Our Founders warned us about it, but, of course, Americans in general have paid no attention to them on this as on most matters they taught us.” (05/27/26)
- Face the facts: China isn’t leaving Latin America anytime soon
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Jorge Heine“Countries across the region have strong economic incentives for working with Beijing. Washington should try to compete rather than coerce.” (05/27/26)
- The Political Orphanage, 05/27/26
Source: The Political Orphanage
“The Old Political Order Is Dying: Stephen Davies on the Great Realignment.” (05/27/26)
- Reason Interview: Alvin E. Roth
Source: Reason
“How Moral Panic Creates Black Markets.” (05/27/26)
https://reason.com/podcast/2026/05/27/how-moral-panic-creates-black-markets/
- The Fifth Column, episode 559
Source: The Fifth Column
“Ben Rhodes and the Evil Empire State of Mind.” (05/27/26)
https://www.wethefifth.com/p/ben-rhodes-and-the-evil-empire-state
- Rising, 05/27/26
Source: The Hill
“Robby Soave gives his radar on Rep. Nancy Mace making a push to eliminate property taxes for senior citizens.” (05/27/26)
- Freedom Works with Paul Molloy, 05/27/26
Source: Freedom Works
“Wayne Crews, Competitive Enterprise Institute ‘Rightsizing Government.'” (05/27/26)
https://internetradiopros.com/freedomworks/?name=2026-05-28_zfw005202026.mp3
- Make It Make Sense, 05/26/26
Source: Washington Post
“The hysteria around artificial intelligence and data centers is growing, but are the public’s worst fears warranted? … James Hohmann, Jason Willick and Dominic Pino debunk the biggest myths about the technology’s impacts on jobs and the environment.” (05/26/26)
- Ron Paul Liberty Report, 05/27/26
Source: Ron Paul Liberty Report
“Silver Lining: Iran War Ends US Military Occupation of Middle East.” (05/27/26)
- Questions For Corbett, 05/27/26
Source: The Corbett Report
“What are the Enhanced Games?” (05/27/26)
https://corbettreport.com/what-are-the-enhanced-games-questions-for-corbett/
- The Daily Blast With Greg Sargent, 05/27/26
Source: The New Republic
“Trumpworld Erupts in Fury as Coverage of His Health Takes Brutal Turn.” (05/27/26)
https://newrepublic.com/article/210924/trumpworld-erupts-fury-coverage-health-takes-brutal-turn